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  • #1

    SC spotted in mirror

    I have a bit of a confession to make: I too can be a sucky customer.

    Someone knocked urgently on my door late in the evening last week and expecting something serious I ran downstairs only to find a charity salesman with a handful of direct debit forms trying sign up the whole neighborhood.

    Now charity I'm fine with. I'm sure there are people who do more than me but I 'do my bit' and I'm happy enough with the amount of money and time I give (generally more time than money since I don't have much spare of the latter - working on minimum wage and all). What I really don't like is being doorstepped and guilt tripped by a professional beggar who is paid my salary, plus half again, plus a decent wedge of anything I decide to donate. I don't feel that they have the moral high ground when they turn up - yet they seem to want to be treated as charity volunteers. I always try to be polite (at least at the start) but I sometimes end up being the unpleasant loudmouth who orders them off his property.

    BB = The Begging Bastard
    SC(me)= Me in my guise as a Sucky Customer

    BB: Good evening I work for {bunch of pricks} and I'd like to tell you about...
    SC(me): Dude I really hate to cut you off but I don't donate via paid salesmen or to charities who use them.
    BB: Well if you've just got two minutes to consider the valuable work we...
    SC(me): Look mate I think I can save us both the time; I will not be signing anything tonight.
    BB: Not even if you could change the life of a homeless child?
    SC(me): Not even then. Do I have to escort you back to the street? *Steps out of house towards BB who suddenly decides he wants to be somewhere else very quickly*


    Sigh.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    That's not being an SC. That's just saying "no" and having to repeat yourself twice.

    It's your time / money - you can decide which charity to donate to for whatever reason you want. Hell even if it's because a volunteer wore a funny hat. Or because you want to boast about giving to "charity xyz". Or because of that charity's operating costs.

    likewise you are fully allowed to chose to NOT donate for whatever reasons you want - be it because you dislike the charity, because they wear funny hats, or because you dislike their operating costs. You don't owe them your donation. Even if they try to guilt you into it.

    Comment

    • #3
      Lol I donate to homeless charities quite a bit. But when these guys knock I show them literature on the Georgia guide stones and the "world can sustain a maximum of 500,000 people" and how his charity is damning the planet. Complete with rabble rabble and arm waiving.

      Comment

      • #4
        Quoth Pimento View Post
        Complete with rabble rabble and arm waiving.
        That reminds me -- I just watched a South Park episode last night where the mayor, when confronted with two groups of arguing citizens, asked them "What are you all rabbling about this time?"
        "For a musician, the SNES sound engine is like using Crayola Crayons. Nobuo Uematsu used Crayola Crayons to paint the Sistine Chapel." - Jeremy Jahns (re: "Dancing Mad")
        "The difference between an amateur and a master is that the master has failed way more times." - JoCat
        "Thinking is difficult, therefore let the herd pronounce judgment!" ~ Carl Jung
        "There's burning bridges, and then there's the lake just to fill it with gasoline." - Wiccy, reddit
        "Retail is a cruel master, and could very well be the most educational time of many people's lives, in its own twisted way." - me
        "Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down...tell you she's hurtin' 'fore she keens...makes her a home." - Capt. Malcolm Reynolds, "Serenity" (2005)
        Acts of Gord – Read it, Learn it, Love it!
        "Our psychic powers only work if the customer has a mind to read." - me

        Comment

        • #5
          Quoth PepperElf View Post
          That's not being an SC. That's just saying "no" and having to repeat yourself twice.
          Well I certainly felt like an arse.

          It just can't help feeling that if I have to get detached and blunt, then walk someone off my property then maybe I could have handled things better.

          Thanks though.

          Comment

          • #6
            It sounds like that was his ploy... that he wants you to feel guilty about not giving him money. Make you feel like you personally just condemned someone to die etc.

            and being more polite... well i've done that, said "no thank you" etc. and nothing more. the last time I think I had to say it 4-5 times before the person left.

            so honestly being blunt i don't see as bad. you weren't rude, you just said no and said why. they chose to nag you anyway.

            Comment

            • #7
              We had a person show up at our door doing the same thing. I informed her that I was not comfortable putting my bank account information and signature on a form that was just going to be walking around the neighborhood with someone I don't know; it just screams potential identity theft.

              After her continued arguments about why I should anyway, I just said "Hey, I'll go tell <charity> that you wouldn't take 'no' for an answer because of fear of potential identity theft and that I will never be donating them to money because of it." before slamming and locking the door.

              One less charity I have to worry about. Especially after the only response I got to my emailed complaint was a electronic form to submit my banking info for donations. No apology, no attempt to address my concerns about information security. How very professional of them.

              Comment

              • #8
                My favorite line to use with pushy beggars like this is "I'd love to, but my budget for charitable donations is already committed for this year." It generally shuts them up.
                At the conclusion of an Irish wedding, the priest said "Everybody please hug the person who has made your life worth living. The bartender was nearly crushed to death.

                Comment

                • #9
                  See, I was thinking what Gerrinson said. I mean, seriously....give my bank account information to a total stranger who shows up at my door out of the blue?? My first thought would be to shut the door and call the police, because frankly I can't imagine a legit charity doing that.
                  When you start at zero, everything's progress.

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Quoth MoonCat View Post
                    See, I was thinking what Gerrinson said. I mean, seriously....give my bank account information to a total stranger who shows up at my door out of the blue?? My first thought would be to shut the door and call the police, because frankly I can't imagine a legit charity doing that.
                    Sadly it's the norm in the UK; they've been given the nickname 'chuggers' from 'charity muggers'. They come in two flavours- gangs in the middle of town making it impossible to walk down the highstreet without someone physically blocking your path in order to get you talking or late night door-knockers. All armed with Direct Debit forms trying to get you to set up a recurring payment.

                    I used to offer to donate if the salesman would waive their commission and donate that too - oddly I never got any takers. As you say a more sensible way is just to say "Sorry I don't enter into long term financial commitments on a whim at the behest of some complete stranger who knocked on my door at nine at night, goodbye."

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      My usual you-didn't-take-my-polite-nos-so-here-come-the-big-guns is:

                      "I have $90,000 in student loans so that won't be in my budget for many years. My loan payments cost more than my apartment does."

                      Depending on my mood I use the uber-perky cheerleader voice or the dry-as-dust world-without-humor voice.

                      So far I've gotten 2 apologies!

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        My folks don't listen to the vocal pitches that charities want to give, be it in person or on the phone. They'll take any literature the charities have to give, read it, do some research if need be, and then make their decision.

                        I don't know how many times I've heard them say to a charity caller, "We don't donate to any charities that solicit over the phone. If you want to mail us your literature, fine, but we won't be donating anything today."
                        PWNADE(TM) - Serve up a glass today! | PWNZER - An act of pwnage so awesome, it's like the victim got hit by a tank.

                        There are only Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse because I choose to walk!

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          I'd be happy to give them a number...A FAKE number, but a number, all the same! Lessee, my routing number is 1111111111111....Acct # is 99999999999999 ... combination on my luggage is 12345....
                          "For a musician, the SNES sound engine is like using Crayola Crayons. Nobuo Uematsu used Crayola Crayons to paint the Sistine Chapel." - Jeremy Jahns (re: "Dancing Mad")
                          "The difference between an amateur and a master is that the master has failed way more times." - JoCat
                          "Thinking is difficult, therefore let the herd pronounce judgment!" ~ Carl Jung
                          "There's burning bridges, and then there's the lake just to fill it with gasoline." - Wiccy, reddit
                          "Retail is a cruel master, and could very well be the most educational time of many people's lives, in its own twisted way." - me
                          "Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down...tell you she's hurtin' 'fore she keens...makes her a home." - Capt. Malcolm Reynolds, "Serenity" (2005)
                          Acts of Gord – Read it, Learn it, Love it!
                          "Our psychic powers only work if the customer has a mind to read." - me

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Quoth EricKei View Post
                            ... combination on my luggage is 12345....
                            How odd. That's the same as the combination on my air shield.
                            "I don't have to be petty. The Universe does that for me."

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Quoth Ironclad Alibi View Post
                              How odd. That's the same as the combination on my air shield.
                              HAIL SKROOB!
                              PWNADE(TM) - Serve up a glass today! | PWNZER - An act of pwnage so awesome, it's like the victim got hit by a tank.

                              There are only Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse because I choose to walk!

                              Comment

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